Reflected in the Mirror
by twilightknight1594
Summary: Bakura has finally made a truce with the pharaoh and most of his friends and become a part of the group, but is everything ok, or is there something that still haunts him from the shadows?


Twilightknight1594: Ok, I don't own anything and I never will.

Bakura: DO NOT SUE. DIABOUND WILL GET YOU IN YOUR SLEEP.

Twilightknight1594: That wasn't necessary.

Bakura: But it is effective.

* * *

It has been two years since his highness and I passed on. It has also been about two years since we came to a truce. I know, it doesn't seem possible, but it's true. We aren't what you would call friends exactly, but we get along well enough to where there isn't a constant Shadow Game going on between the two of us. I guess you'd say that we're more like rivals at the moment. We still have our moments where we fight, mostly by my doing, but it works out.

At first, the priests and the pharaoh's friends, who we have been able to visit thanks to a trick we found in an old spell book in the palace library, didn't exactly trust me, which is to be expected. I didn't exactly trust them either, nor have I ever given them a reason to trust me in the past. I still don't for the most part. Certain people have retained their grudges against me and I don't really like them, so the feeling is mutual. Especially with Seto, Aknadin, Mahad, Kaiba, and Tristan. Most of those are for the obvious reasons, the want to arrest me if I so much as utter a word, which I believe to be veiled revenge, or they are arrogant and won't open their eyes to the truth, which I love reminding him of the evidence just to anger him, or they are Tristan, who does nothing but cheer by the side lines. I mean, really, what does he do save for fight Joey and fail to get Serenity's attention?

The others eventually warmed up to the idea, and some have even referred to me as their friend. Yugi was the quickest, since he trusts the pharaoh's judgment. Tea did too since she pretty much follows the pharaoh and Yugi in whatever they do with little to no contest. Joey, Duke, and most others have gotten used to my presence and treat me like just some other member of the group, which I myself am not all that comfortable with, but I guess that just comes from me being a thief and not being able to trust others for a long period of time. That and that they have been my enemies for years. What surprised me the most was that Ryou forgave me. He took the longest but he did. I still can't believe that as I think about it. The Ishtars still don't trust me or want me around, but that's ok. I don't really want them to forgive me. Making fun of Marik is too fun. The guardians and members of the royal court, save for Mana, who I still believe to be more of an annoyance than anything else, don't like me but they deal with it. It's not like I give them much of a choice.

At any rate, I'm not sure how they all did it, but I'm partially glad. After my village was burned all my friends and family were gone, and after five thousand years, I'm actually enjoying myself again. Not in the sadistic way, but the way that I have been missing out on. There are days when his highness and I go visit Yugi and the others and we really do enjoy ourselves. Granted, I'll never show it, I have too much pride, but it's true. Cracking jokes, playing games, and just doing whatever else comes to mind, although they won't let me rob anyone, and life is good. There are times when I can almost forget the past. When the laughter and the sarcastic comments seem to be able to wipe it all away and I can almost start over and lead the life I should have lead in the beginning, without having it all burned away and selling myself to the Dark Lord for a false revenge that would never be gotten. That because of them, I can truely move on. But he won't let me. There are times, in the middle of the night, as I lie in the guest room at Ryou's or at the palace or even at my own house, when I can hear the Dark Lord's laughter. In my dreams I can hear the screams of those that fell because of me and I can see the faces of those that I hurt. And there are times when I look in the mirror, and I see not only me, but the Dark Lord looming over me along with an image of what he turned me into. He's trying to get me to steal the Millennium Items again and set him free. I'll never do it, and I'll never tell anyone about it. They don't need to know.

All I know is that I may have been fortunate enough to escape the devourer, but he is always there to remind me that I will never truly be free. That, and that the truth shall always be reflected in the mirror.

* * *

Twilightknight1594: Just a bit of what I think Bakura would be thinking about if he ever did make a truce with everyone. Thanks for reading, and also, Atem would like you to review. He would ask himself but Bakura is busy trying to kill him for reading this. Bye.


End file.
